A blog about the Dodgers and Baseball. My thoughts on everything that has to do with the old game, autographs, baseball cards, bobbleheads, contests, upcoming appearances, books, etc. Enjoy the pictures, videos, opinions and contests.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

DodgerFilms Shut Down!

Breaking news...

Sad day in Dodgers history. I'm serious. Bobby Crosby, the man behind DodgerFilms on YouTube has been asked to shut it down!

E-mail from Bobby:

Damn, I just wrote up a long thing to Mike Brown (www.thelfp.com) about this, but it was in a message on YouTube, and there's no way to see sent messages on YouTube (I think), so I'll have to re-write it, but here's the short version:

Dodger Stadium security shut me down, not MLB. But security cited MLB policy as the only reason, saying that they looked it up and fans aren't allowed to film the field during the game -- but MLB allows my videos up on YouTube, so they don't have a problem with it and neither should security. It's also very odd that they let me film for over two years, clearly seeing that I'm filming the game, many of them even telling me that they like my videos on YouTube, but never stopped me until now.

On Wednesday night one of the security guards had a major problem with my filming for some reason and started telling all the other security guards to watch me and make sure I wasn't filming, so that led to a series of conversations with LFP security bosses, culminating with my shut down. I plan to contact Josh Rawitch and/or MLB itself to try to get permission to film, but who knows if that will work.

I've never once attempted to make any money off the videos and I never will. I'm constantly turning down YouTube's offer to become a partner and share in ad money because I know that MLB officially owns my game footage. I'm just doing this for fun. My goal all along with bringing the camera was to get a good shot of catching a game home run, which I still haven't accomplished -- the McCutchen catch on May 1st wasn't a good shot, since I had to jump and didn't get the ball coming into the glove on camera. Plus, it's a hell of a lot better if it's a Dodger hitting the homer, of course, like my favorite player Matt Kemp, for example. Everything else that I film is basically just because "Hey, I have the camera here, might as well film some other cool stuff too," especially since people are constantly asking me if I filmed certain moments.

I also plan to offer my video services (for free) to the Dodgers Media Network, maybe doing a series about the season ticket experience out in left field, featuring one of the best deals in all of professional sports ($8 per ticket per game for incredible seats). I'd be good with doing a 2-4 minute recap video of each game from the perspective of my seats, which I could complete about six hours after each game ends, and I think that would be a cool feature for the Dodgers web site, if they're interested.

Feel free to quote me on all of this on your site.

Not cool. The Dodgers should take up on his offer. Who doesn't want a fans perspective? Bobby's videos are great. It's very entertaining and gives us a different view.

I'm disappointed that they are telling Bobby to shut it down. I will try to contact the Dodgers and ask them what's going.

The LFP Blog also has the story. He's the one that broke the news {linked here}

i love dodgerfilms and it sucks that there won't be more videos but i don't understand all this "writing letters to guys higher up" nonsense. security is doing their job. if you aren't allowed to film you aren't allowed to film. why fight it? their stadium, their rules.

Seems to me that some people are jealous of Bobby. He gave the Dodgers free publicity for a general public who barely even KNOW of them. Overall, the direction the Dodgers are going OFF the field is really troubling. (At least the team is still intact...for now.) We lost our infectious home run song to that awful sports chant, the pregame and mid-inning entertainment has declined dramatically, and now this. At a time when baseball needs to EXPAND its appeal beyond the generic fanbase, the Dodgers seem to be moving in the opposite direction. We should start a FB page for ALL this. You have my support, FWIW!

"i don't understand all this 'writing letters to guys higher up' nonsense. security is doing their job. if you aren't allowed to film you aren't allowed to film. why fight it? their stadium, their rules."

Totally wrong. Their job is to protect people. I'm hurting no one. And it's certainly not their stadium. Security doesn't own the team, but they act like it. And it's not "their rules" -- they're specifically citing MLB policy, but MLB makes an exception for me and lets me film and there's proof of this by simply going to my YouTube account and seeing that there's 600 videos up instead of ZERO. It's retarded that they're forcing me to get official permission when there's PROOF that I do have permission by simply seeing that the videos are still up. They're simply being jerks, plain and simple.

you should sue Dodger Stadium for Harassment .i know youre not the only one filming in the stadium if they stop you they should stop everyone which they will not in that case there pointing you out among thousands of fans recording you have a good case my friend :)

This is so stupid for the Dodgers to do this for many reasons, but perhaps, most on point for them is that Bobby's filming and posts are free advertising for their industry and increases the fun, good will, and profile of baseball in general and Dodger baseball in particular. They have shot themselves in the foot, cut off their own nose to spite their face on this one and I suspect this decision will be reversed upon further reflection.